The Parting of the Ways
by LadyNightRunner
Summary: Yusuke is killed, Yoko is loose, and Kurama blames himself. Without help from the others, he intends to track Yoko down and bring him back. With the help of a strange wolfdemon with her own agenda, he may just succeed!
1. Prologue

"Where are you going Yusuke?"

"Somewhere." Yusuke replied tartly. Keiko, being Keiko, persisted.

"Where?"

"Ugh. To talk with Kur-Shuichi. He called me last night and asked me to come over and talk this morning."

"That had better be the truth."

"It is. I promise."

"Okay. Don't be late for school." Yusuke ignored this and headed off down the street, yawning. He didn't like getting up this early, but it was the only way that he was going to be able to meet Kurama. They'd talk, and then walk to school together.

Minamino household-same time "Shuichi! Time to get up!" The aforementioned redhead opened one eye, groaned, and closed it again. For the moment that he'd been awake, he determined that he was not going to school today. Footsteps approached his door, knocked, and then entered, in the form of his mother. "What are you doing in bed? You're going to be late for school!" Kurama rolled onto his back and looked at his mother.

"I don't feel well." He said, praying that his mother would believe him. Noting her son's tone (it was definitely genuine) and the miserable look he was giving her. Shiori Minamino smiled slightly.

"You had to get sick on the day I leave. Do you think you can look after yourself? I can't miss my flight."

"I think so." Kurama said. Shiori tucked the blankets snugly around her only child and kissed his cheek.

"Okay. I hope you feel better." She closed the door and left.

"I hope so too." Kurama whispered. Something in his chest stirred and Kurama whimpered. "Not now. Please not right now." The movement slowed, then stopped, and the youth stared at his ceiling. "Hurry Yusuke. I can't do this without you."


	2. The Accident

"Kurama? Are you here?" Yusuke stepped into the entry of his friend's home. A potted ivy plant shifted to point at the stairs. Used to this sort of thing, Yusuke headed up to Kurama's room. "Kurama?" he said, knocking on the door.

"Yusuke? Is that you?"

"Who else? Are you still in bed?" Kurama ignored the question.

"Come in. I need to talk to you." Yusuke turned the knob and entered. Kurama sat up when he saw him.

"Is something wrong?" Kurama smiled slightly and got out of bed. His knees buckled, and Yusuke ran over to catch him. "Are you okay?" Kurama rolled his eyes.

"Not really. Let's go outside. I could use the-ahh!" The teen gasped, and clutched at his chest. "Move! Get away!" he cried. Yusuke backed away and watched, shocked, as Kurama's form grew slightly transparent and shifted, almost as if he was a snakeskin being shed. He convulsed, obviously trying to stop whatever was happening. His eyes flashed gold for a moment, then, it was over.

"What was that?" Yusuke yelped. Kurama staggered into him, resting his full weight on Yusuke.

"_That _was what I need to talk to you about. Come on, let's go outside. I definitely need fresh air." The two managed to get out into the backyard. They sat down beneath a towering oak tree.

"Okay, spill. It's not like you to miss school."

"You remember that my body is human, but it's controlled by a demon's soul?"

"Yeah. Go on."

"As of late, the soul which belongs in my body, the human one, well, it's trying to take over. The soul of Yoko is not pleased, and is making that known by rejecting my body. I need help getting him out."

"Meaning?"

"I did some research and found a spell which should do the trick. It's a dual spell, which is where you come in. I've just got one problem."

"What?"

"It would seem that, due to the battle being waged within me, my immune system is being weakened. As a result, I've caught some bug from school, and it's making holding Yoko back really difficult. If he's not out of me soon, he'll destroy my body to gain freedom. Will you help?"

"Sure. I've just got one question. If you're sick, will it affect the spell?" Yusuke wanted to help, but didn't want anything to go wrong. After all, a mistake could mean Kurama's life.

"It shouldn't. One of us might end up sick, but it's not at all likely. Don't worry."

"Okay. Umm… will you still be the Kurama I know when this is over?" Kurama chuckled.

"Yes. I will be the Kurama you know, and Yoko will be Yoko."

"Got it. Can we start?" Kurama nodded.

"Hold out your hands." Yusuke obeyed. He yelped when Kurama quickly drew a small dagger across his palms. The redhead repeated the action on his own hands. "Before we go any farther, you have to promise that when I tell you, you'll run back into the house and stay there. Do _not_, under _any_ circumstances, come out to me. I'll come back in when the spell is completed. Understand?"

"Yeah."

"Good. Hold my left hand with yours." Yusuke did, and Kurama clasped their right hands together. The blood dripped from their hands to pool in mid-air six inches below. Kurama began chanting in a soft tone, his voice rising and falling in a manner that brought to mind ocean waves, and the gathering blood turned brilliant neon green. The clouds overhead darkened, and an ominous rumble of thunder sounded. "_Now_. Go Yusuke!"

Yusuke leaped to his feet and took off for the house, just as he'd been told to. Kurama watched, waiting until he saw the door close. Another rumble of thunder, louder now, rolled over the fox.

"Okay. Here goes." _Am I forgetting anything? _The last three lines of the incantation spilled from his lips in a fast, fluid stream. The green blood began to bubble, steam rising from its surface. Kurama gritted his teeth against the pain; it felt as though he was holding his hands in a forge. _I think I did._ The blood began to ooze upward towards him, and engulfed his hands. The redhead stiffened. Nothing had ever hurt like this. The blood continued on its single-minded quest to completely cover Kurama, and he was soon coated with the stuff, writhing on the grass. The feeling changed, and now it felt as though his very blood had turned to ice, freezing him from the inside out.

Inside the house, Yusuke watched, helpless, as Kurama continued with the spell. He nearly screamed when his friend was covered by the green blood, and when a bolt of lightning slammed into the green form under the oak tree, he did scream. He couldn't stand by and watch any longer. Kurama's orders forgotten, he opened the door and dashed out to Kurama.

The youth saw Yusuke coming, knew that it was too dangerous for him to be that close, and tried to warn him, but his voice didn't work, and his throat was tight and sore with the contained screams, so the warnings died on his tongue. Then a searing pain tore through his chest. Kurama convulsed, back arched, body taut as a bowstring. It felt as though someone had torn his chest open, and was using a dull knife to rip his insides apart. He could feel Yoko, struggling to free himself from the confines of a living prison, and could feel the barrier that kept the demon restrained beginning to give under the spell. With a soft _pop_ it broke. _Oh no. The restraining charms! I forgot them!_ Yoko's spirit shot out of Kurama with explosive force, shattering the house windows and uprooting the oak tree. His aura spiked to astronomical levels, killing off most of the plant life in the yard with its uncontained, superheated power. It zoomed upwards, into the sky and away, but the damage was already done. A soft rain began to fall. When Kurama could gather the strength to get up, all he saw was Yusuke. The oak had fallen on the young Spirit Detective, pinning him to the ground and rendering him unable to defend himself against the uncontrollable burst of aura that had followed the release of Yoko's spirit.

"Yusuke!" Painfully, he went to his friend, dropping to his knees in front of the boy. Summoning all the power he had left, he shoved the charred tree off. He was shocked at the damage done. Yusuke lay in a pool of his own blood.

"Hey." Yusuke whispered. His voice was tight with pain.

"D-don't talk. I-I'll call an ambulance. You'll b-b-be okay."

"M-maybe. Did it work? The spell, I mean."

"Yeah, it d-did. But I forgot the restraining charms. He's loose now, without a b-b-body."

"Are you mad at me?"

"Mad? Why would I b-be m-m-m-mad?"

"I didn't do what you told me to do…I came back out here to help you." Yusuke coughed slightly, and a trickle of blood traced a fresh crimson trail from his mouth to his chin.

"I'm not mad at you."

"That's nice to hear. I'd hate to die with one of my friends mad at me."

"Don't be silly. You're not going to die! You're going to be fine!" Kurama's voice took on a slightly crazy tone. Yusuke smiled sadly.

"Kurama, I've already died once. I know what it feels like. At least this time I'm gonna go with a friend close by."

Kurama could hardly walk, but he somehow made it into the house and called 911. An ambulance arrived in less than ten minutes, loading Yusuke quickly. At first, the paramedics thought that Kurama was the one they were supposed to treat, until the redhead showed them Yusuke. In a controlled panic, they got both young men into the ambulance and left, sirens blaring, straight for the hospital. But the combination of broken bones, internal injuries, and severe burns took their toll. Yusuke Urameshi was pronounced dead on arrival.

When Kuwabara, Genkai, Yukina, Botan, Koenma, and Shizuru arrived at the hospital, Kurama was curled in a ball in one of the chairs in the waiting room. His numerous injuries had been cared for, but he looked like a ghost. His eyes were red, his skinpale, and he was shaking.

"Kurama? What happened?" Shizuru asked. Kurama didn't respond. "It's Yusuke, isn't it?" Kuramanodded. "What happened to him?"

"He...he's...oh god, what have I done!" The redhead burst into tears. Shizuru seemed surprised, but hid it and wrapped her arms around the sobbing figure.

"Shhhh. Yusuke's a tough kid. He'll be fine."The response to this comment was instant. Kurama shook her arms off him.

"No he won't! He's _DEAD_! I _KILLED_ HIM!"


	3. Tribute

Well...here's another one. Yes, I know that it's really short, but the next chapter (also going up today) is quite a bit longer. Numarie!

* * *

Yusuke's funeral was a small affair, seeing as he'd told Koenma that he wanted to be buried outside Genkai's temple. Thus, only a few close friends could attend. Kurama stood a short distance away from the others. He cut a very unusual picture, with his rather unruly hair neatly combed back and held there in a low ponytail with a black tie. There was a haunted look about him, partially because of his abnormally pale skin in contrast with the black suit he wore, but also because of an almost tangible sense of anger that surrounded him. He said absolutely nothing during the service, and hung back as the others walked slowly past the grave and back to Genkai's temple.

Later, when Kuwabara was going outside to be by himself, he found something that surprised him. His original intent had been to sit near Yusuke's grave. Yusuke's death was such a shock. He half expected to see his friend digging himself out of the grave, seeing as, up until now, he was seemingly indestructible. Upon arriving at the site, instead of the carefree and daring face of Yusuke that he'd been hoping for, the tall boy found an exquisite rose bush growing behind the tombstone. The buds were closed, but somehow Kuwabara knew that, when they bloomed the next morning, there would be something very special about them. He was right.

The next morning, he got up early and went outside, more in the hope of finding the whole thing to be just a bad dream than to check on the rose bush. The long grass was dripping with dew, and the bottoms of his pajama pants were soon soaked. He found the grave just as he had left it the night before. The sun was just coming up over the trees when he arrived, casting a rosy beam directly on the tombstone, and the rose bush behind it. Kuwabara froze. The bush had bloomed…but such blossoms had never been seen in any of the three worlds. They were black. Not deep purple, or midnight blue, but a pure, deep, velvety black like the deepest darkness of a cave…or a grave. Despite the beauty of the flowers, Kuwabara kept his distance. The dew had collected on the petals and dripped onto the tombstone, catching the rosy color of the sunlight and reflecting it. It looked as if the flowers were bleeding onto the tombstone.


	4. A Mother's Love

As promised, here's the other chapter. We'll get back to Yoko soon, and he'll become a major player in the way Kurama's life goes. If he doesn't do something drastic before then...oop.Shouldn't have said that. You didn't see anything!

* * *

/Kurama's house/ Shiori Minamino was waiting in the kitchen, waiting for her son to come home. She didn't know what had really happened several days ago, but she did know that one of the boys who hung out with her son had been killed. Shuichi had explained that '_something'_ had happened in the backyard, something that had felled the oak tree and had generated an intense heat. The tree had fallen on Yusuke, and the heat had done the rest. The police suspected some kind of explosion, but she was doubtful.

Before her were several photo albums. All were open to pictures of Shuichi, at different ages. _When did he first begin acting so strange?_ she thought. The pictures of him as a baby, a toddler…they were all just images of a laughing, rosy cheeked boy with red hair, playing, or showing his mother something he had done. When had he changed? The first two albums offered no answer, but the third one did. _I remember. It was when he turned ten._ Here were pictures from that time, and here was the beginning of the changes. Before his tenth birthday, Shuichi had been nothing but her son, a gifted child, but still hers. He laughed often, played happily with friends, and was always sleeping over at their houses, or else bringing them back to sleep over with him. Then he had turned ten.

Here was a picture of that day. He was in the middle of a cluster of his friends, but he looked…distant. Another picture, this one of him about to blow out the candles on his cake. He looked somehow sad, as if turning ten heralded something he didn't want to happen. Shiori also remembered what had happened after his birthday. Several days later, Shuichi had come down with some kind of virus, and had remained in bed for the better part of four days. He had begged her not to take him to a doctor, and she had agreed. Twice, when she walked past his bedroom door, she heard him crying, although she didn't know what it was he cried for. Almost as soon as he had recovered, more changes occurred. Anyone should have noticed, but she, the loving mother, hadn't seen the way these changes had been those of her son becoming something else. He seemed like he wasn't her son sometimes. They had seemed so…insignificant. He had chosen to grow his hair out, much longer than was considered normal for a boy. He had grown apart from his friends, become a solitary child, and immersed himself in his studies. He had taken an interest in gardening, and proved to have more than a gift for it. It was as if the plants obeyed his every wish. He'd taken up running in the mornings, become much stronger that the other boys his age…had become more independent. But that wasn't all he had done.

She really didn't know what he did when he wasn't at home. He would come home sometimes, dirty, bruised, bleeding…even sick, and tell her he was just working with some plants. She accepted it, assuming that it was just her little boy growing up. Speaking of growing up, he certainly _had_ shot up in the last few years… But she was wandering off her current topic. She had first noticed that the things were happening when she had gotten sick…it had been when he was fifteen. She remembered him coming into her room in the hospital, and he had brought a friend with him. That same friend, in fact, who had died several days ago. Later that evening, she had drifted into a hazy muddle, and had thought_ I suppose this is it…_ She had been certain that she was going to die, and her only regret was leaving her son to fend for himself. Almost as soon as she had thought of him, she saw his face, a shock of electricity had run though her, and then she'd woken up again. He had come running in right after, looking pale and weak, but overjoyed at her condition. Later, one of the doctors had told her that she had nearly died.

It was just a few days later that he'd come home hurt again. But this time, it was much more serious than anything he'd had before. The door had banged open, and she had looked up from the table, where she was sorting recipes, to ask how his day had been. To her shock, he was leaning against the wall, shirtless except for strips of cloth wound around his lower torso, pressing his jacket to his belly. The cloth, which happened to be the remains of his shirt, and his jacket were both stained with blood. Frantic, she had leaped to her feet and run to him, asking what had happened. All he had said was that he'd been stabbed, and he'd told her not to take him to see a doctor. She had agreed, and then set to the task of tending to his injuries. He was truthful about being stabbed, but the wound seemed too big to have been caused by a knife. There was a second wound in his back, level with the one in his stomach. When she asked, he simply said that he'd _'been caught first from behind'. _To her, it looked more like he'd been completely run through.

He had healed, as he always did, and then vanished. Shiori had heard him mumbling about a trial in his sleep, but ignored it. When he returned, he was a mess, and had another stomach wound. This one was a long slash and again, she didn't think a knife had caused it. Directly afterwards, he'd started telling her about three young men he'd met, and apparently befriended.

_That was the first time he had spoken of friends since his tenth birthday_ she realized. After this, he had been constantly in and out, once staying away for several weeks. Almost every time, he returned with a new injury for her to fuss over. Still…no matter how long he was gone for, he always completed his schoolwork on time. This seemed to be enough for her, and she didn't understand why she hadn't asked about what was _really_ going on sooner. Maybe it was because he was never there, or maybe it was because she had turned a blind eye to all the things he did that ought to have worried her. But she saw them now. The accident in her own backyard had been like a slap in the face, telling her that under no circumstances was her child a normal boy.

The door opened, and then slammed shut, startling her from her memories. Shuichi, dressed completely in black, hurried inside.

"I made dinner dear."

"Thanks Mom, but I'm not hungry."

"But…you haven't eaten a thing since yesterday!"

"Mom, I'll be fine. I just…I'm not feeling well, alright? I'm going to bed." This said, Shuichi turned and ran out of the kitchen and upstairs. Shiori heard his bedroom door slam shut. She sighed.

_How can I ask him anything when I can't even talk to him anymore?_ She thought, going back into the kitchen to collect her photo albums. She no longer needed to go through the pictures they held, searching for an answer. She knew that he was different, and all she had to do now was find out why, and what he had become.

/Meanwhile, upstairs/ As soon as he was in his room, Kurama turned his back on the door and yanked the curtains over the windows. As a second thought, he opened both windows, but left the curtains closed. A cool breeze found its way inside, and played with the papers on the desk. Kurama stepped away from the windows, undoing the tie in his hair as he went. His belt went next, hitting the floor with a dull thud, followed by the rest of his clothes, except for his boxers, which remained on, for the sake of any unexpected and unwanted visitors who might show up. Namely, his mother. He knew full well that she could come in if she wanted to. He didn't have the heart to keep her out. No matter how upset he was, she was still his mother, and he loved her. _How long can I keep this up? She'll find out someday…she'll have to. But…she won't believe it. It's really better if she doesn't know._ He had told himself that over and over again. But it was not the time to wonder about how she might take it if she knew what he was, and the thoughts quickly vanished form his mind. Crossing the bedroom floor a second time, the tall youth flopped face down on his bed, and lay there for a moment, then rolled onto his side. The pictures on his desk met his gaze, and one of them stood out in particular. It was of him and Yusuke. The two of them were at the beach, part of a forced vacation and get-together sort of thing that Koenma had organized. Keiko had been there, carrying a camera and laughingly taking pictures of everyone. That had been when she and Yusuke had been more than just friends, that brief period of time when they'd been together.

Kurama remembered just how the picture had been taken too…He had been sunbathing on the sand, and Yusuke had been a little ways out on the water, messing around with a body-board or something. Quite suddenly, an exceptionally large wave had crashed onto the sand, dumping a large quantity of water, as well as Yusuke, right onto him. Of course, his immediate response had been to struggle when the full weight of another person slammed into him, and when the water had slid back down to the sea again, Keiko had snapped the picture before either one of them could protest. He'd gotten a copy of it later, as a gift. It showed him half lying down, half trying to get up, tangled with Yusuke, the body board, and the cord that ran from it to Yusuke's wrist.

Emerald green eyes blurred with hot tears. Why had Yusuke been the one to die? If _anyone_ had to die, why couldn't it have been him? The tears started to fall, silently at first, but soon accompanied by quiet sobs, which grew into miserable wails. These wails carried down the stairs and right to his mother's ears.

Shiori winced at the sound. What could be going on up there? Cautiously, she went up the stairs and halted outside the bedroom door. "Shuichi? May I come in?" The response was rather hard to understand, mangled as it was by his crying, but Shiori managed to get an affirmative out of it, and opened the door.

"What's wrong?" she asked, sitting down on the edge of the bed. Shuichi shook his head, and said nothing. "You can tell me." He seemed to think it over for a moment, and then sat up.

"It was my fault." He whispered.

"What was?"

"His death. Y-yusuke d-d-died because of m-m-m-m-me."

"Do you want to tell me what happened?" Shuichi shook his head. "Will you tell me later?"

"Maybe." What Shuichi did next surprised the heck out of his mother. Sitting up, he buried his face in the front of her blouse and resumed his crying. What was such a surprise was not the fact that Shuichi had never been this emotional in his life, but rather that he allowed his mother to see him in such a state. Smiling slightly in spite of herself, Shiori wrapped her arms around her son and held him close. Questions could wait for the moment.


	5. Tantrums

A week passed. During that time, Kurama hardly ever came out of his room. When he did, he said little to nothing, and what he _did_ say was so quiet it was hardly audible. Everyone tried to get him out of his room, each using their own methods…

Hiei spent nearly two hours on Kurama's windowsill, first making an attempt at reasoning with him, and then losing his temper and hissing insults through the window. _That _earned him a well-placed sneaker in the mouth. Yukina sat outside Kurama's door and tried to tempt him outside with the offer of being allowed to examine a plant that grew only in the Koorime's icy home. When this elicited no response, she was sorely tempted to freeze him out, but didn't. Shizuru took up the post Yukina had vacated and simply told Kurama that he was being even more of an idiot than Kuwabara, then added that Yusuke would be ashamed if he could see what Kurama was doing. After that, Kurama responded with a stream of curses in a language only Hiei could speak, it being 'Thieves Cant', a language created and spoken _only_ by thieves of the Demon Plane. The inventive use of these curses was enough to make the little fire demon turn _very_ red. When asked to translate, he refused, saying that the words were far too…colorful to be repeated. Then it was Kuwabara's turn. What he did surprised everyone.

"Hey! Open this door right now!" He yelled, banging on the door. It was a bit of a blessing that Shiori was out, because she would have started asking questions about the next things Kuwabara said. "Your kind are always pictured as cowards and tricksters in the stories. They seduce people, and run around doing whatever they want. I used to believe that! And then I met you, and you changed everything I ever thought about foxes. I actually started to think that the stories only told the things that would be useful in teaching lessons to little kids! I started thinking that there was something else, that foxes could be brave…honorable…strong…allies…even friends…that even the worst of them could change if they got the chance. And then you did _this_!"

"Kazuma, calm down." Shizuru said, placing a hand on Kuwabara's shoulder. "It's not working." Kuwabara just shook her hand off.

"It was all an illusion! You just acted that way until this happened! And _then_ what did you do? You ran off with your tail between your legs and locked yourself away so you didn't have to 'fess up and face the truth! I used to look up to you, but now I can see what you _really_ are! You're just like the foxes in the stories Kurama. You're a coward! You may be way older than any of us here, but even _I'm_ more mature than you! Yusuke was more of a man than you are! Hiei is a more loyal friend! My sister and Yukina both have more courage than you can even _hope_ to have! We're _all_ stronger than you! And do you know _why_? It's because we all stood up and faced Yusuke's death while _you turned and ran away_!"

"Just leave me alone!" Kurama yelled back. "Get out and leave me alone!"

"I will _not_ let you stay in there and act like a little kid! You're coming out, even if I have to _drag_ you out!"

"_NO_!" Kurama yelled, and any idiot could hear that he was crying. Kuwabara sighed and turned to face the others.

"Hey Hiei…you any good at picking locks?"

"I'm on it." Hiei answered. In less than a minute, the door was open.

"Thanks." Kuwabara opened the door and stomped in. Kurama was in the corner farthest from the door and windows, sobbing. Kuwabara approached and glared down at him. "So, are you coming willingly?"

"_NO!_"

"Fine then. We'll do it _this_ way." Before Kurama had a chance to react, he'd been picked up and slung over Kuwabara's shoulder. The boy carried him out of the room. "Come on. We're going to Genkai's."

"_NO!" _Kurama yelled, pounding furiously on Kuwabara's back with his fists. He kicked and struggled, still crying, in a futile attempt to free himself.

When they got outside, Shiori was just arriving. She stared in shock at the sight of Kuwabara carrying her kicking, crying son over one shoulder down the front walk.

"What are you _doing_?" she squeaked.

"Taking him to someone who can snap him out of this. This isn't the guy I used to respect, and this is the only way he's ever coming back. We'll bring him back, I promise." After saying this, Kuwabara continued on his way, with the others trailing along behind. Shiori watched them go. She had absolutely no clue as to what was going on, but somehow she knew that letting that boy carry her son away was the right thing to do.

By the time the group reached Genkai's temple, Kurama was walking, hands bound and in front of him, attached to a rope that Kuwabara held. Earlier experimentation had proved that if he refused to walk, he would be dragged. He'd long since stopped crying, reverting to a stony silence.

"Boys! What's going on?" Genkai asked upon seeing the group.

"We're here to knock some sense into him." Kuwabara grumbled. He continued past the temple, leading his unwilling prisoner to Yusuke's grave. After securing the rope to the tombstone. Kuwabara turned to Kurama. "You're staying here until you feel like telling us what's going on!" he snapped, and then stormed back to the temple.

Kurama stood before the tombstone for a long time, head down, trying to avoid looking at it. Finally, he raised his head. He saw the black roses. Quite suddenly, his knees gave way and he fell, hard. Staring, Kurama pulled himself into a sitting position, not taking his eyes off the flowers. He _knew_ that he'd planted the bush, _knew_ that it had been grown from one of his favorite bushes, with blooms as red as blood. He _knew_ that the flowers produced should have been red, just as they had been when the plant had bloomed on his desk before. That was why he'd chosen the plant in the first place. Red for blood. Morbidly appropriate.

But now…it was black. How could that have happened? How was it even possible? The best gardeners and botanical scientists had been trying to create a truly black rose for decades. How had this one…wait!

There was a possibility…Kurama knew it was unlikely but… what if his feelings had been projected through his aura into the plant? Most of the plants that spent a large amount of time around him developed a connection to his aura, and a few even became sentient, capable of moving their leaves, blooms, stems, and vines on their own. He'd been feeling like his world had come to an end when he planted this bush…had considered various methods of killing himself while he did it…could he actually change color of the blooms by way of his emotions? If so, it must have a connection with Yoko having left his body…

Kurama took a deep breath, preparing himself for what he had to do. Then he redirected his gaze at Yusuke's tombstone. "Yusuke I…I'm sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen. I can't tell the others what really happened to you, at least not yet. I don't want them to get dragged into this. I have to find Yoko, and I have to find some way to bind him. The combination of everything from…that day…could turn him into something even worse than a fox demon thief. Like an evil spirit, or a vengeful one. I'll tell them when it's safe. I promise." When he'd finished speaking, Kurama bowed to the tombstone, then untied himself and headed for the temple. He owed everyone at least _part_ of an explanation.


	6. Body Shopping

The week Kurama had spent sulking was, in Yoko's opinion, frustrating. He couldn't find a demon to posses, nor could he find a portal to the other realms. Thus, he was stuck in a non-physical form in the human world. And he was bored. _Very _bored. Haunting was only amusing for so long, and, being insubstantial as he was, he couldn't do much. Since he hadn't really _died_ when he was released back into the world, he hadn't accumulated any strong emotions to be converted into power. Therefore, he was only slightly more dangerous then the average bumblebee. Annoying, yes, but virtually harmless.

_Free, but unable to enjoy it. What a bother. _He grumbled. He was currently down an abandoned foxhole in a peaceful little park, taking a break from his random hauntings. _I really have no wish to possess another human…look what happened _last_ time. Seventeen years of almost _constant_ surveillance by that irritating child…he's too smart for his own good, and _far_ too gifted. _Still, it seemed that the only option he had, at least right now, was to possess a human. If he was lucky, he would find a demon, or a portal into the other realms quickly. Now, all that was left to be done was to find a suitable host. He had the option of being choosy this time, and he intended to make use of this option. This new host would be much more useful than an unborn baby with…odd talents. If Yoko was lucky, the boy wouldn't ever know the extent of those talents, let alone learn how to put them to a useful purpose. _Now to find a host. _

Yoko's new pastime became creating a list of traits he thought were a must or must-not for a good host. One might assume that the fox was being excessively picky, but he was simply being cautious. His new host couldn't be too young, couldn't be someone his former host knew…the list went on. After several days, however, he came up with a better idea. _What if I chose a foreigner? There's no chance that my former host could know the new one, and I'd be _so_ much harder to find! Now…where should they be from?_ Slowly, through process of elimination, Yoko decided on the USA. His mental list of other places and reasons why the host couldn't be from there included the following:

_Russia_- too cold, don't like the language, can't stomach vodka.

_China_- too close to Japan, far too many otherworldly residents to be anything like safe.

_Australia_- don't like kangaroos.

_England- _too wet for too much of the year.

_Greece_- tried it once. Didn't like it _at all._

_Egypt_- too dry.

_Africa_- too hot, too dry, and too many strange local customs.

_Antarctica- _Self-explanatory

_Mexico- _can't speak enough Spanish

_Jamaica-_ has had enough reggae and strange accents to last a lifetime.

_Madagascar_- too many lemurs, too many tourists, not enough room to run.

_Canada_- got chased for pelt once. Not risking it a second time.

_Saudi Arabia- _too dry, _way_ too much sand.

_Panama- _too humid

_Bermuda_- too small, too many shipwrecked ghosts… BERMUDA TRIANGLE!

_Tasmania_- Tasmanian devils have _no_ manners!

_Switzerland_- too many mountains.

_France_- don't like the food, don't like the language, don't like the people.

The list went on. Yoko decided on the States for several reasons: First, there was more then enough room to run. Second, the country had a variety of climates, so he could pick and choose to suit his tastes. It was culturally diverse, and it would be a simple matter to vanish into some city and never have to deal with Kurama again.

Yoko left the foxhole. Next stop, the airport, to do some…people watching.

/Meanwhile/ Kurama was pacing around his bedroom. He knew he needed to find Yoko, and sooner was better than later, but he wasn't sure where to go from here. He'd checked for demons that would be possible hosts for Yoko, and had been monitoring the intermittent rifts between this world and the others. No sign of Yoko. The possibilities that remained were not at all pleasant. The most likely was that Yoko had found a host and left the country. Once he did that, it would be impossible to track him down quickly. Kurama decided that if he couldn't find Yoko in another week, then he would give up the heavy searching, but would keep an eye on all news, in case Yoko appeared somewhere, probably caught up in some devilment. Of course, it would probably be mention of another demon or human, but Kurama knew Yoko as well as he knew himself…or at least as well as he _thought _he knew himself. Anyway…he still had school to deal with, and he wanted to experiment with his plants. If he was right on how thr rose had turned black…could he do it again? Or, even more intriguing, could he crossbreed his plants into new breeds that would be useful in various ways? Battle was the foremost use, but if he could find a way to increase the movement capabilities his plants had a habit of developing…the possibilities made his head spin. For now…he needed to make sure he knew what he could do know; he knew that, when he found him, Yoko wouldn't come quietly. Kurama was going to be ready for him.


	7. Care package from the States

And here we go again, another chapter of all the things Kurama has to go through. And, of course, the lovely Mara, who is currently a mysterious pain in the butt. Let's not forget Yoko, who has now been planted in his new home and will be remaining there for awhile. The first person to coreectly guess where he is is a genius. Numarie!

* * *

If Yoko were a cat, he would've purred. This new body fit _perfectly_. And its former owner had given up so _easily_. He didn't even scream or cry in the back of Yoko's mind. Just sat there, silent and still, making no comment on anything Yoko did.

The flight over had been interesting. Yoko had never been on a plane before, and fought to keep himself from staring out the window the whole way. Who ever had said that humans were good for nothing had obviously never spent much time in their world. To fly without expending any aura, without the aid of a winged creature…incredible. He'd seen some smaller planes at the airport…perhaps he would look into learning to fly one.

His host had been wealthy and single, making it simple to take over his life. He'd also been a photographer, a profession Yoko approved of. Even better, his specialty had been plants. That meant he could work with his plants, take pictures of them, and not have to worry about keeping up with a job.

This new home was beautiful. It was situated in the foothills of a mostly uninhabited mountain range, and was on an impressive stretch of land that offered plenty of room to run in and explore. The weather was warm, would be hot when summer came, and generally dry. To add a final touch, the area was teaming with rabbits and quail to hunt, and coyotes to chase. A virtual paradise.

Meanwhile, back in Japan, Kurama had undergone a surprising change in attitude. The accident and the aftermath had brought into perspective some of his shortcomings as a human. His mother mentioned a few others. He resolved to correct them. He's signed up to be a student tutor for middle-school students, and planned to join track in the spring.

He'd also begun training with Hiei on Saturdays. Yoko's absence left him painfully inept in some areas of combat, and he'd firmly decided to do something about it. _Now_.

"Is there a reason you're doing this?" Hiei asked.

"Doing what?"

"Wanting to train with me. You've told me that you like to keep your free time as time to spend with your family."

"I-…it's nothing."

"This has something to do with Yusuke's death, doesn't it?" Kurama stopped in his tracks, staring at Hiei.

"You'd better not be reading my mind." He warned.

"The thought _had_ crossed my mind, but I haven't done anything at this point." Hiei murmured. He hopped up onto the branch in one of the trees surrounding their clearing, and patted the spot beside him. "Get up here fox. We need to talk."

Much later, Kurama shuffled into his room, utterly exhausted. He'd explained as much to Hiei as he could without giving himself away, and had then been treated to the most grueling workout he'd ever had. It was late, he was sore, and now all he wanted was a shower and bed.

He collected clean clothes from his room and shuffled down the hall to the bathroom.

"Shuichi? Is that you?"

"Yes, it's me."

"It's awfully late, dear. Have you eaten?" Kurama sighed, put his clothes back in his room, and headed for the stairs.

"No, I haven't." There was an unspoken invitation in her question, one he didn't want to refuse. Considering how little time he'd spent at home recently, it was only right that he eat with his mother.

She was waiting at the table when he got there. He eased himself onto his chair, wincing as sore muscles protested.

"What happened?"

"Hmm?"

"You're a mess."

"I've been taking some lessons in self-defense, and my…trainer really gave me a workout today." Kurama mumbled. He hated lying to his mother. Even if it _was_ mostly truth.

45 minutes later, Kurama bid his mother goodnight and went back upstairs. He collected his clothes again, and headed for the shower. There were no interruptions this time, a fact he was grateful for.

_I'll have to talk to Hiei about this,_ he thought irritably._ If I'm so beat up that my fingers are almost too stiff to get my belt off, then he needs to lighten up a bit._ Thankfully, getting the belt off was the hardest part. Everything else could just be slid or pulled off, with the exception of his pants, which required unbuttoning. _I am _definitely_ talking to Hiei about this._

The hot water felt absolutely heavenly. Because of this, Kurama failed to pay much attention to his surroundings.

"Wow. You've got a _body_." The voice startled him. It was female, but not his mother. In fact, it didn't even sound Japanese.

"Get out." He snapped. He was in no mood to deal with a…what _was_ the name for women who watched men undress and shower anyway? There was no response, so he assumed whoever it was had left. Then the shower door opened. Kurama yelped and covered himself.

"Sheesh. Modest much? Whatever happened to foxes being the most seductive creatures on the planet?" A lean form materialized within the steam from the shower.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Kurama sniffed. "Now, I'd appreciate it if you would remove yourself from my shower _immediately_."

"Nah. I don't feel like it." The person took a step forward, keeping just out of the spray from the shower. She was as tall as he was, with a thick mane of sleek black hair streaked with red. Her skin was the color of coffee with very little milk in it, which made her gold eyes stand out. A demon, of course, judging by the claws and tail she had. Wolf demon, if he was reading the tribal markings on her stomach and hips correctly.

"Does the word _modesty_ mean anything to you?" He hissed. She laughed.

"Have you not looked at me? Modesty means nothing." Well, she had a point. She was wearing a pair of denim shorts that covered little more than her rear and crotch, and a strip of red cloth tied neatly around her bosom. That, and the cuffs she wore, was it.

"Well…get out." This was too much. The last thing he wanted right now was some nosy woman interrupting his shower. He was sore, tired, very irritable, and in no mood to negotiate.

"Hang on a sec-"

"_Out_."

"I ain't goin' nowhere, you-"

"_OUT!_" Kurama decided more drastic measures needed to be taken, and started to move towards his thoroughly unwelcome visitor.

"Now, is that anyway to treat a guest…Kurama?" He froze mid-step. "Ah. Do I have your attention _now_?"

"I'll speak with you when I'm finished showering." Kurama said firmly. "My room is down the hall and to the right. Wait for me there. Now, if you will excuse me…" He carefully pushed her back out of the shower and shut the door.

She was sitting in the window when he returned to his room. The position reminded him of Hiei. That was where he always sat, and often how he got in too. Kurama ignored her for the moment, sitting down on his bed and picking up his brush. He had some spectacular knots today, thanks to Hiei and some overly helpful ivy. The brush caught. No amount of tugging would free it, and it wasn't like he could twist around to get at it. His arm was at an awkward angle already. Kurama said some _very_ imaginative words.

"So much for being the goody-goody pretty boy I thought you were. Here, let me." The wolf had slid off the windowsill and gotten on the bed behind him. She tugged in the brush until he let go. "Jeez, what happened? You and that cutie you hang with do more then train?"

"_No_. Who are you?"

"Mara WindSinger."

"What are you?"

"I'll give you a hint. Stars and Stripes." Kurama sighed and rolled his eyes.

"An American wolf demon. From one of the plains tribes."

"You've got good eyes."

"And _you've_ got tattoos. More importantly, you've got tribal tattoos. You seem to be a…hmmm…" Kurama twisted around to get another look at several markings on Mara's left hip. "A pack warrior, with a high rank, but…what on earth did you _do_ to get thrown out?"

" You're _disgustingly_ flexible, and it's none of your business." Mara growled. She jerked the brush free with more force than was necessary and started working the tangles out of Kurama's hair.

"_Ow_."

"Oh hush. Don't be such a baby."

They sat there in silence until Mara had finished with Kurama's hair. Then he turned around to face her, folding his hands and resting his chin on them.

"So…is there a _reason_ you invaded my shower and dropped that name?" He asked. "Or did you just do it on a whim. And, while I'm thinking about it…what is an American demon doing here, associating with a Japanese demon-thief?"

"_Ex_-demon thief." Mara purred. "That furball that inhabited your body is gone. There's nothing but a rapidly fading scent." Kurama shied away from Mara. How could she know? "I'm here because I want to help you track him down, and…what _is_ that smell?"

"What smell?"

"I doubt you could smell it, without the demonic enhancement, but…odd. I've only…it's coming from _you_!" Mara scooted closer, staring at him.

"_What_?" Kurama asked, trying to get away. He succeeded in falling off the edge of the bed.

"Oh…nothing. I'll come back and talk to you later, when you're rested. Take care, kiddo!" Mara opened the window and hopped out, leaving a very confused Kurama sprawled on his bedroom floor.

The next time Mara showed up, it was while Kurama was playing a game of soccer at the park, with some of the other teens that lived nearby. His team was losing, when something distracted the goalie long enough for him to score. Then he saw what everyone was looking at.

Mara was leaning against a tree, watching them. She was wearing tight black pants that flared around her calves and stopped before reaching her feet today, with a gold halter-top that didn't come close to covering her tattoos. She grinned when she saw him looking.

"Hey sweetie!" All the guys looked at Kurama.

"You _know_ her?" Katsuo asked. Kurama shook his head. "You're sure? She seems to know _you_." Kurama was about to say something to the contrary, but didn't get the chance. Mara came running across the field, and practically threw herself at him. Kurama caught her, out of reflex.

"Did you forget about me?" She pouted, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"F-forget?"

"That you were going to meet me today? We were going to that café…Oh, you _did_ forget!" Mara buried her face in Kurama's shoulder. The rest of the soccer players were giving him very meaningful looks. Kurama took a deep breath and went into a full-out bluff.

"I'm _so_ sorry, Mara, I got into the game and lost track of time. Do you still want to go?" Mara nodded. "Then let's go, okay? I'll make it up to you, I promise."

"Then kiss me."

"Mara, the guys are _watching_."

"So?" Damn. She had him cornered. If he didn't do it, his fellow soccer players would have him lynched for not comforting his girlfriend after forgetting to meet her. Kurama pulled back slightly, to get into a slightly less awkward position for this. Mara gave him a smirk that nobody else saw, and kissed him. Full on the mouth. With tongue. In order to remain among the living, Kurama stuck it out until he felt Mara starting to pull away. It wasn't that she was a _bad_ kisser, it was the fact that he didn't want to be subjected to this kind of torture in front of his friends, because now he would be constantly asked about her.

Just as Mara stopped kissing him and he thought it was over, she bit him. Hard. He tasted blood, and pulled back with a yelp.

"You _bit_ me!" He squawked. Mara went pink. The guys whooped.

"Sorry." She said, leaning close to him again. "It wasn't deliberate. Here, let me see."

"It's okay, you just surprised me." Kurama said quickly. He turned away from Mara and spat out a mouthful of blood. "_That _is something we do _not_ do in public." More cheering from the peanut gallery.

"I'll remember that. Can we go now?"

"Yeah, just a sec." Kurama scooped up his water bottle and rinsed the majority of the blood out of his mouth. "C'mon, let's go." Mara nodded. Mentally bracing himself, Kurama wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her against him as they walked away.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Kurama whirled.

"What is your _problem_?" He hissed angrily. "You invade my free time, not one but _twice_, then you make _them_ think we're a couple, then you _kiss _me, and if that wasn't humiliating enough, you go and _bite_ me!"

"Just wait until the bite kicks in." Mara whispered.

"What did you say?"

"My bites can have an…interesting effect…take care sweetheart." She leaped up into a tree, and was gone.

_Great. She poisoned me…or something. And I can't tell Genkai or the others. This _sucks_. Yoko, when I get my hands on you, you're going to regret ever even _considering_ my body!_


	8. Strange Happenings

Yeah, you're probably gonna kill me for this chapter, but what do I care? I know it's short, but bear with me. The next one is already in the works.

* * *

Kurama stomped into the kitchen, already in a fine bad mood.

"You're back early." His mother commented.

"Something came up." Kurama muttered, pulling a canister of salt out a cabinet. He set it on the counter and got a glass out of another cabinet.

"There's blood on your lips. You didn't get into a fight, did you?" Kurama winced. He'd been hoping she wouldn't notice.

"No, I wasn't fighting. I…wasn't paying attention and got hit in the face with the ball. I just bit the inside of my cheek, is all. It's nothing." He dumped some salt into the glass, then filled it with warm water. Kurama gave the glass an expert shake that sent the contents spinning, effectively mixing them. He eyed the cloudy liquid with distaste, and then took a mouthful. It burned, as it was supposed to. Maybe, if he was lucky, it would cancel Mara's venom. The salt water also re-opened the cut, and he spit it out, taking another mouthful.

"Shuichi dear, do you have a girlfriend?"

"No. Why?"

"I saw a young woman hanging around the tree near your window the other day. You two aren't…involved, are you?" Kurama inhaled about half of the salt water in his mouth. He hunched over the sink, coughing. "No?"

"_Absolutely_ _not_!" Kurama wheezed.

Later that afternoon, Kurama ventured out of his room again, wary of weird wolf demons and misinformed mothers. The coast was clear, so he snuck out and took off towards the park.

There was a labyrinth at the park, one that Kurama frequented when he wanted to think. Today, he scrambled up to the top of the hedges and stretched out in the sun. He'd worry about Mara later. Right now, he wanted a nap.

The sun had set when Kurama woke up. He forgot where he was, and rolled over, yawning. Obviously, it is nearly impossible to safely roll over when you're lying on a hedge, and this was no exception to the rule. Kurama fell, but…landed on his feet? The impact made his knees buckle, and he hit the ground anyway, but with decidedly fewer bruises than he would've had otherwise. He picked himself up and ran his tongue over the cut in his mouth. It stung at the contact, waking him up a little more.

_Now…how on earth did I manage that? I'm sure I lost all my inhuman reflexes after Yoko left. _

He shook his head and started home. He kept teasing the cut with his tongue, wondering when the venom- or whatever it was- would kick in.

Kurama had to get back into his room via the window. This in itself annoyed him, because he knew his mother was waiting downstairs, probably ready with a new battery of questions. She suspected far too much as it was. He hadn't been home for longer than five minutes when someone knocked on the door.

"Shuichi?"

"Mmmm?"

"Aren't you coming down for dinner?"

"Not tonight mom, I'm not hungry."

"You're sure?"

"Yeah. I'm just tired."

"Alright then. Good night."

"Night."

Morning dawned bright and clear. Kurama's window was still open, and the curtains were pulled back, allowing unobstructed access for the sunlight. The alarm clock went off. Yawning, Kurama fumbled for it, turned it off, and rolled onto his back. He stretched, yawning, and opened his eyes.

Downstairs, Shiori was making breakfast when an ear-splitting yell came from upstairs. She shrieked and hurried upstairs.

"Shuichi? Was that you? Is something wrong?"

"N-no, I'm fine. I just startled myself." Kurama said, sounding like he didn't believe himself. His voice was rather muffled.

"You're sure?"

"Yes. I didn't- is something burning?"

"The waffles!" Shiori yelled, and ran back downstairs.

Kurama lay on his stomach with his pillow over his head, willing whatever was wrong with him to go away. He lifted the pillow slowly. The sunlight that seeped under it was almost painfully bright. It was this that had gotten him to yell, because a room full of sunlight was _hell_ on his eyes.

"What's wrong with me _now_?" he moaned, and pulled the pillow back down. He inhaled, and absently began sorting the smells.

_Cotton, laundry detergent, color-safe bleach, dyes, synthetic fiberfill…what the _hell

"Don't suffocate yourself, fox."

_Smoke, fire, metal…that's gotta be Hiei_.

Kurama sat up quickly, shielding his eyes with his hand. Sure enough, Hiei was standing by the window.

"Hiei! What are you doing here?"

"It smells like wolves around the base of the tree. I thought I should come check on you."

"Really? I can't imagine why."

"What are you doing still in bed?" Hiei asked, abruptly changing the subject. "You're usually up with the sun."

"Decided to sleep in a bit." Kurama mumbled. There was an incredible variety of smells coming in through the window, and they were _very _distracting.

"-ama. Kurama? Fox?"

"Hmm?"

"You're not listening to me. I said that I can't train with you this week. I have business to take care of."

"Oh. That's fine, thanks for telling me." Kurama said, getting up. "Hiei? I've got a question."

"I'm listening."

"Is it possible for a human to gain demonic abilities…say…enhanced senses or reaction time?"

"No. Not without either entering some sort of contract with a demon, or achieving a bond of some sort with one, or consuming bodily fluids in excess, or…I've heard of them being transferred through venom, but I think that's just a rumor. It would be illegal, if it were possible. And, of course, there's my case, in which hypnosis can be used, but only to a point. Oh, and possession. That answer your question?"

"Yeah, thanks." Hiei didn't respond, just hopped out of the window.

_Great. I've got enhanced senses courtesy of a supposedly nonexistent illegal technique. Mara, I'm going to kill you._

Kurama took the stairs two at a time. He was _starving_. However, when he got into the kitchen, it was like walking into a wall. The smells were so many and so strong, it made him feel sick. Shocked and angry, Kurama changed course and headed for the front door.

"Shuichi? Don't you want breakfast?"

"I've got somewhere to be, mom, and I'm late! Sorry! I'll be home later!" Kurama got his shoes on in record time and bolted out the door.

_I'm not going to stop at killing her. I'm going to hunt her soul down and, when I find it, I will stomp on it. After that, I will find something terribly caustic and pour it all over her soul. Then, if there's anything left, I will feed it to something large and unpleasant._

Kurama spent most of the morning learning to handle his new senses. It was nearly noon when he dared venture into a local deli to get lunch. He returned to the park to eat, and made a point of not breathing through his nose; he didn't want to know what was _in_ his sandwich, so long as it didn't taste funny. With things being the way they were, he could smell the additives, and it was more than a little disconcerting. He made a discovery when he treated himself to ice cream later that afternoon: With enhanced senses, he understood why women were so crazy about chocolate. The combined taste and smell was a positively religious experience.

Once he was certain that he could handle everything new (which included being able to clearly hear each child yelling in the playground on the other side of the pond) Kurama went home. His mother was waiting in the living room when he got there.

"Are you sure that you don't have a girlfriend?" She asked, flicking the lights on. Kurama yelped and covered his eyes.

"_Yes_! I don't have a girlfriend, nor do I have any interest in one!" Shiori turned the light off. Kurama looked up slowly. She had her hands on her hips and a very determined look in her eyes.

_Uh-oh_

"Then I think you owe me an explanation."

"What for?" Kurama asked, edging towards the doorway that would allow him to escape upstairs.

"We'll start with your behavior this morning. Then you can tell me _exactly_ what's going on. And I want to know what you've been doing when you're away from the house."

"Playing soccer," Kurama muttered.

"I know it isn't just that. You can't get _stabbed_ playing soccer. You don't _disappear_ for days or even _weeks_ at a time without telling me because of _soccer_. I know there's something, and I want you to tell me what it is."

_Oh dear. Not now, not on top of all this._

Shiori flicked the lights back on. Kurama yelled and covered his eyes, making a blind leap towards the switch. He fumbled for them, and felt his mother's hand covering them.

"Mom, I need the lights off."

"Not until you tell me."

"_Mom_, they're _blinding_ me! It _hurts_! I'm not answering _anything_ until you turn the lights off!" Kurama bellowed. Shiori did. Kurama sighed heavily and stumbled over to the armchair in the corner. He curled up in it, relishing the close, safe feeling. He'd always liked this chair. "What do you want to know?"


	9. Ground Zero

Wow? How long has it been since I updated this? No, don't answer, I know it was too long and I feel like an idiot. Anyway, I've pulled this out of storage and present it to you with profuse apoligies. I hope you enjoy it, and I hope you review and tell me what an idiot I am.

* * *

"I…what are you

"I…what are you?" Shiori asked.

"Why would you ask something like that? I'm your son."

"You…_changed_. Into something else, as well as being my son, but…lately, you're more like it and less like Shuichi. I want to know what you are."

"I am…" Kurama paused, trying to come up with an answer. "I am Kurama."

"Which means?"

"It means that I am an individual of a kind that is not supposed to be capable of existing."

"Shuichi, you aren't making sense."

"This is as much sense as can be made of it."

"Shuichi, I want to know _what_ you are, not _who_."

"I don't know any more," Kurama whispered.

"Tell me _everything_, from the beginning," Shiori said. Kurama sighed, and snuggled a little deeper into his chair.

"It starts with a fox demon named Yoko Kurama. He was a thief, and…he stole a place in the soul of your unborn son." Carefully, Kurama explained everything. About his coming of age when he turned ten. About meeting Yusuke, and the circumstances surrounding it. About Yoko's becoming separate again, but still within him. And then, about how Yusuke had died.

"And now? Why have you started acting like this?"

"The girl you saw by the tree under my window. She's an American wolf demon, and she knows something about me, but won't tell me what. All I can say for sure is that she bit me, and the venom has returned some abilities to me. I've been having trouble getting used to them, especially the sights and smells. I left early because everything smelled so strong that I was nearly sick. I apologize for the way I've been acting." Shiori said nothing for a moment, and Kurama thought she believed him.

"Very funny, Shuichi. Now, tell me the _truth_."

"The tru- but that _was_ the truth," he stammered. Shiori shook her head.

"You expect me to believe that my son has had the soul of some kitsune inside him since _birth_? That's ridiculous. And even if it were true, your soul wouldn't have survived."

"You're telling _me_," Kurama muttered. "Don't you think I was surprised when we became aware of each other? We _fused_, and don't ask me to explain how or why, it's just what happened. Do you honestly think that I would come up with a story this involved just to hide something from you?"

"I don't know _what_ you would do anymore. All I know is that until you come up with a valid explanation for your behavior, I will not consider you my son," Shiori murmured. Kurama took a deep breath.

"How can you say that? We are family, by blood and bone. Who came to see you every day when you were sick? Me. Who has been doing his best to make you happy for years? Me. Who just lost one of his closest friends to a stupid mistake? Me. If I were anything other than Shuichi Minamino, would I know all those things? Would I be capable of telling you about them? No. I am your son, whether you want to believe it or not."

"And if I don't?" Shiori asked. Kurama bristled. "What will you do if I refuse to believe that you are my son?" That one hurt. "Will you leave? Will you run away?"

_Don't lose your temper; you don't know if Mara did anything else to you. Stay calm. Breathe. Don't listen._

"Will you kill me?"

"I'm not capable of it!"

"What?"

"If I was capable of killing you, Yoko would have done it years ago, when we came of age. Do you have any _idea_ how many times I tried to leave? I _couldn't do it_. Know why? Because you are my _mother_. I couldn't kill you, and I couldn't leave! I stayed here, and I fought against all the demons who found me here, and who found the connection between us! They would have _killed_ you if they had gotten to you, for the sole reason of making me angry!" Every little problem that Kurama had ever had with living as a human was finding a way out now, fueled by his anger and frustration.

The philodendron in the corner began to move.

"Why should I believe you?"

"Because if it weren't for me, you would be dead! I've been willing to give up my life to save yours. I tried to, when you were sick. Yusuke jumped in and stopped me, giving some of his own life to supplement mine and keep you alive because _he didn't want to see you cry_! You were threatened in the Dark Tournament, did you know that? I had to be a living punching bag because, if I fought back, my opponent would kill you! I fight for this world, to keep it safe. To keep _you_ safe! Are you saying that it doesn't matter? That nothing I can do or say will make you believe that I am Shuichi Minamino?"

It wasn't just the philodendron anymore. All the house plants within shouting distance of the living room were moving, growing, trying desperately to reach the source of the anger and pain that called to them.

"Yes."

The philodendron, which was closest, reached for Kurama, twining around his biceps and waist, trying to comfort him. The others snaked towards Shiori.

"Why can't you understand!? Do you think I would lie about Yusuke's death!? He died because of _me_! And now Yoko is _loose_, and who knows what he's up to, and you're the only safety I _have_, and now you tell me _this_!?"

The first plant, an ivy, reached Shiori and twined around her ankles. A fern that shouldn't have been able to reach all the way from the far side of the kitchen extended runners until it got to the back of the couch and began covering Shiori's mouth with long fronds.

"Oh! _Oh_…get it off me! Stop it! Stop this right now, you monster!" Kurama's eyes filled with angry tears. Another philodendron and a geranium joined the ivy and fern, twisting around Shiori's waist and arms, pinning her down. The philodendron around Kurama extended a little further, gently brushing its leaves against his cheeks.

"How _dare _you? What kind of mother rejects her own goddamn _son_? I haven't done anything to deserve this!" A couple of tears fell and the philodendron caught them, letting them slide off its leaves to splash on the floor.

A new plant joined the ones in the living room, the largest rose of the three that lived in Kurama's room. It joined the philodendron around Kurama's body, then began throwing out buds. The buds swelled and bloomed into roses in shades of grey, tinged with blue and purple.

"You are not my son!" Shiori screamed, fighting against the hold the plants had her in. They responded by tightening, squeezing. "You're hurting me! Let me go! Now!"

"Kurama! Let her go!" Kurama whirled in time to see Hiei and Kuwabara burst in through the back door. Then Hiei tackled him. They fell backwards together in a tangle of limbs and vines. Kuwabara ran to Shiori and began tearing plants away from her face.

"Stupid," Hiei hissed, sitting on Kurama's stomach. "What _possessed_ you to-"

"I need a little help here!" The plants that had bound Shiori were now working on Kuwabara as well; they'd gotten around his arms and pulled him against the back of the couch.

"Stay put," Hiei said firmly, and he climbed off Kurama, striding over to Kuwabara and torching what plants he could get without burning the carrot-top. Acrid smoke filled the air.

"There are _more_ of you?" Shiori screeched.

Hiei ignored her and continued his work, until the vines fell away, defeated. The remaining parts retreated to their pots. Satisfied, Hiei left Kuwabara to deal with Shiori and returned to Kurama. The philodendron and rose had formed something like a nest for the redhead, in which he lay, panting. Hiei stepped over the edge of the nest, knelt down, and punched Kurama in the stomach.

When Kurama had recovered from the blow and Hiei had threatened the philodendron with a fiery death to keep it from strangling him, Kurama sat up, trembling.

"What's happening to me?" he whispered.

"You lost your temper," Hiei said shortly. "And you nearly killed your mother. Idiot."

"I shouldn't be able to. He's…I…there's nothing left. Nothing for them to respond to."

"Try telling that to your house plants," Kuwabara snorted, trotting back in from the kitchen carrying a glass of water. "They obviously can't tell." He handed the water to Shiori, who sipped shakily at it. "You okay? They didn't do any real damage, did they?"

"N-no," she said slowly. "Make them leave."

"Who?"

"Those two." She pointed at Hiei and Kurama. "Get them out of my house."

"We were just leaving," Hiei spat. He grabbed Kurama's collar and jerked him to his feet. "Come with me. We need to talk."

Kurama said nothing, allowing Hiei to drag him outside and down the street, not stopping until they were at the park, in the labyrinth. Then Hiei shoved him into a sitting position with his back against the hedge. He was visibly furious, red eyes glowing with rage.

"What's happened to you? Where is Yoko?"

It took Kurama a moment to register what Hiei had said.

"What?"

"Where is he? His scent doesn't even linger on you, he's been gone so long. _What have you done_?"

"I…I removed him."

Hiei would know if he was lying, after all. He was so perceptive.

"_Removed_ him? You cannot just _remove_ the soul of a demon."

"I did. But…I made a mistake."

Hiei's eyes widened in realization.

"That's how Yusuke died," he breathed. "You _did_ kill him."

Kurama nodded.

"Tell me everything. From the beginning. Leave nothing out."

When Kurama had finished, Hiei slumped down beside him. Neither of them spoke. Finally, Hiei sighed and fiddled with the bandages covering his tattoo.

"You should have said something," he muttered.

"How could I have? It was a selfish, stupid mistake. I'd already killed one friend, and now I've killed two."

"I know more about binding charms and wards than you do, idiot. I could have helped keep him contained. We have weathered everything else; what made you think we couldn't have handled this?"

Kurama shrugged, ashamed.

"What's happening to me?" he asked softly.

"I don't know. But Genkai might. You might as well go to her for answers, since you won't be allowed in your house for awhile. It was foolish, telling that woman everything."

"She's my mother, Hiei," Kurama sighed. "I had to tell her some day."

Hiei shook his head. He would never understand Kurama's devotion to the weak human who had done nothing more than provide a vessel of flesh for the spirit of Yoko Kurama. As far as he was concerned, there ought to be no remaining attachment. Perhaps it was like what he had with Yukina: inexplicable, but undeniable.

"If you say so. Come. The sooner your questions are answered, the better."

"Alright."


End file.
